Post on 19-Jan-2018
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Mock TrialsCourt Systems and Practices
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Mock Trial A conflict or dispute in another
matter that remains unresolved Trial includes
General rules of evidence and procedures
Explanation of the basic facts Brief statement for each witness
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Mock Trial (continued) Cases should be drawn upon
Historical events Trials of contemporary interest School and/or classroom situations Hypothetical fact patterns
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Roles in a Mock Trial: Judge Serves as a referee between the
prosecution and the defense Rules on motions, procedures, and the
admissibility of evidence Instructs the jury before deliberation
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved.Images and other multimedia content used with permission.
Roles in a Mock Trial: Prosecutor Usually a member of the District
Attorney’s office, City Attorney’s office, or state or federal attorney’s office
Must prove the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
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Roles in a Mock Trial: Defense Attorney Member of a public defender’s office
or a private attorney Must prove the prosecution does not
have enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
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Roles in a Mock Trial: Witness Testifies on behalf of the prosecution
or the defense May be an expert in a field of study Presents the facts of a case as
personally experienced or known
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Roles in a Mock Trial: Bailiff Position held by a sheriff, marshal, or
other law enforcement officer Maintains order in the courtroom Protects the jury from outside
influence Performs ceremonial duties such as
calling the court to order
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Roles in a Mock Trial: Jury A panel of 6 or 12 members of the
community Their job is to determine if enough
evidence exists to convict the defendant of the crime charged
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Steps in Preparingfor a Mock Trial Case materials distributed All persons involved should read the
case in its entirety Roles assigned
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Steps in Preparingfor a Mock Trial (continued)
Case materials prepared Join the prosecution or the defense teams to
assist the attorneys with preparing the case Develop direct examination questions for each
witness Become familiar with all of the witness
statements Determine the best method for cross-
examination of the witness(es) on the opposing side
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Order of Events in a Mock Trial Jury Selection
Select 6 to 12 jurors, depending on the size of your class
Remember that the jury’s job is to listen to the facts of the case and to determine whether or not the prosecution has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt
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Order of Events in a Mock Trial (continued)
Opening Statements Purpose is to educate the jury The prosecution goes first, then the
defense Present the facts of the case and the
witnesses to testify Outline the charges brought against the
defendant and what the law demands in response
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Order of Events in a Mock Trial (continued)
Presentation of Evidence (Witness Testimony) The prosecution will conduct direct
examination on each of its witnesses The defense will cross-examine each of the
prosecution’s witnesses After direct examination and cross-
examination, a rebuttal is allowed by both sides
Once all of the witnesses on a side have been presented, the side will “rest” and the other side will then present their evidence and testimony 14Santa Teresa High School Intro to LPSCS
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Order of Events in a Mock Trial (continued)
Closing Arguments Arguments made to the court and jury that
review all the evidence presented during the evidentiary phase
The attorneys will review witness testimony and evidence presented that establish their cases
Attorneys will also try to persuade the jury to vote in their favor
Each attorney will point out “holes” in the other side’s case
The theme presented during opening statements should be used to tie the whole case together
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Order of Events in a Mock Trial (continued)
Jury Deliberation – jurors can be removed from the court to an alternate location, or deliberations can be held in front of the class as a discussion Select a jury foreperson The jury foreperson will take an initial vote to see what
deliberation needs to occur Allow the jury members to express why they voted the
way they did. Each person should be allowed to state their opinion without being interrupted or put down
Jurors should discuss opinions of those that are opposing the majority
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Order of Events in a Mock Trial (continued)
Jury Deliberation (continued) Remember that even though you may have knowledge
of the case, you cannot consider any information that was not presented during the course of the trial
Remember what it means to prove something “beyond a reasonable doubt”
Once the jury has reached a unanimous decision present it to the court
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